• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.55 no.8
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• pp.2835-2843
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• 2023

After an emergency shutdown of a lead-bismuth fast reactor, thermal stratification occurs in the upper Plenum, which negatively impacts the integrity of the reactor structure and the residual heat removal capacity of natural circulation flow. The research on thermal stratification of reactors has mainly been conducted using an experimental method, a system program, and computational fluid dynamics (CFD). However, the equipment required for the experimental method is expensive, accuracy of the system program is unpredictable, and resources and time required for the CFD approach are extensive. To overcome the defects of thermal stratification analysis, a high-precision full-order thermal stratification model based on CFD technology is prepared in this study. Furthermore, a reduced-order model has been developed by combining proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) with Galerkin projection. A comparative analysis of thermal stratification with the proposed full-order model reveals that the reduced-order thermal stratification model can well simulate the temperature distribution in the upper plenum and rapidly elucidate the thermal stratification interface characteristics during the lead-bismuth fast reactor accident. Overall, this study provides an analytical tool for determining the thermal stratification mechanism and reducing thermal stratification.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.287-294
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• 2009

Due to thermal hydraulics phenomena, such as thermal stratification, various events occur to the parts of a nuclear power plant during their lifetimes: e.g. cracked and dislocated pipes and thermally fatigued, bent, and damaged supports. Due to the operational characteristics of the parts of the steam generator feedwater inlet horizontal pipe, thermal stratification takes place particularly frequently. However, the thermal stress due to thermal stratification at the steam generator feedwater inlet horizontal pipe was not reflected in the design stage of old plants(Kori Unit No.1, 2, 3 and 4, Yeonggwang Unit No. 1 and 2, and Uljin Unit No. 1 and 2; referred to as old-style power plants hereinafter). Accordingly, a verification experiment was performed for thermal stratification in the horizontal inlet nozzle steam generator of old-style plants. If thermal stratification occurred in the horizontal pipe of an old-style power plant, numerical analysis of the temperature distribution of the pipes and fluids was conducted. The temperature distributions were compared at the curved part of the pipe and the horizontal pipe before and after the installation of the improved thermal sleeves designed to alleviate thermal stress due to thermal stratification. The thermal stress reduction measure was proven effective at the steam generator inlet horizontal pipe and the curved part of the pipe.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Visualization
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.28-34
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• 2020

In this study, we numerically investigated the thermal stratification in solar seasonal thermal storage tanks. The vertical in/out flows were unsuitable for the thermal stratification in a large scale. The effect of an aspect ratio (AR) on the thermal stratification was investigated. When AR was less than 2, water adheres and flows along the upper wall due to buoyance and the surface effect. Thereafter, hot water flows down and a large scale vortex occurs in entire tank. For high AR, jet flows ejected from the inlet pipe impinges to the opposite wall and splits. The divided flows create two vortex flows in the upper and lower regions. These different flows strongly influence temperature and thermal stratification. The thermal stratification was evaluated in terms of the thermocline thickness and degree of stratification. Compared to ARs, the maximum degree of stratification was obtained with AR of 5 having the minimum thermocline thickness.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Pressure Vessels and Piping
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.25-33
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• 2016

The thermal stratification phenomenon in the nuclear power plant can cause abnormal deformation of the piping, contact with the support, damage to the support system. Repetition of the thermal stratification phenomenon or variation of the thermal boundary layer can cause thermal fatigue. Thermal stratification phenomenon in nuclear power plants is still an ongoing issue and active research has been carried out. In this paper, the current situation in Korean nuclear power plants is described, followed by the status of research and the future problems on the thermal stratification phenomenon in Korea.

• International Journal of Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.51-60
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• 2003

In the nuclear power plant, emergency core coolant system (ECCS) is furnished at reactor coolant system (RCS) in order to cool down high temperature water in case of emergency. However, in this coolant system, thermal stratification phenomenon can occur due to coolant leaking in the check valve. The thermal stratification produces excessive thermal stresses at the pipe wall so as to yield thermal fatigue crack (TFC) accident. In the present study, effects of turbulence penetration on the thermal stratification into T-branches with square cross-section in the modeled ECCS are analysed numerically. Standard k-$\varepsilon$ model is employed to calculate the Reynolds stresses in momentum equations. Results show that the length and strength of thermal stratification are primarily affected by the leak flow rate of coolant and the Reynolds number of duct. Turbulence penetration into the T-branch of ECCS shows two counteracting effects on the thermal stratification. Heat transport by turbulence penetration from main duct to leaking flow region may enhance thermal stratification while the turbulent diffusion may weaken it.

• Korean Journal of Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.239-245
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• 2003

In the nuclear power plant, emergency core coolant system (ECCS) is furnished at reactor coolant system (RCS) in order to cool down high temperature water in case of emergency. However, in this coolant system, thermal stratification phenomenon can occur due to coolant leaking in the check valve. The thermal stratification produces excessive thermal stresses at the pipe wall so as to yield thermal fatigue crack (TFC) accident. In the present study, effects of turbulence penetration on the thermal stratification into T-branches with square cross-section in the modeled ECCS are analysed numerically. $textsc{k}$-$\varepsilon$ model is employed to calculate the Reynolds stresses in momentum equations. Results show that the length and strength of thermal stratification are primarily affected by the leak flow rate of coolant and the Reynolds number of the main flow in the duct. Turbulence penetration into the T-branch of ECCS shows two counteracting effects on the thermal stratification. Heat transport by turbulence penetration from the main duct to leaking flow region may enhance thermal stratification while the turbulent diffusion may weaken it.

• Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology
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• v.19 no.12
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• pp.2245-2252
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• 2005

Thermal stratification in the branch piping of power plants can be generated by turbulent penetration or by valve leakage. In this study, a numerical analysis was performed to estimate the thermal stratification phenomenon by in-leakage in the SIS branch piping of nuclear power plant. Leakage rate, leakage area and leakage location were selected as evaluation factors to investigate the thermal stratification effect. As a result of the thermal stratification effect according to leakage rate, the maximum temperature difference between top and bottom of the horizontal piping was evaluated to be about 185K when the valve leakage rate was about 10 times as much as the allowed leakage rate. For leakage rate more than 10 times the allowed leakage rate, the temperature difference was rapidly decreased due to the increased mixing effect. In the result according to leakage area, the magnitude of temperature difference was shown in order of $3\%,\;1\%\;and\;5\%$ leakage area of the total disk area. In the thermal stratification effect, according to the leakage location, temperature difference when leakage occurred in the lower disk was considerably higher than that of when leakage occurred in the upper disk.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Visualization
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.99-105
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• 2021

In this study, the thermal stratification in solar seasonal thermal storage tanks was numerically simulated. The effects of the aspect ratio (AR) and inlet velocity on the thermal stratification in the diffuser type heat storage tank were investigated. The temperature distributions inside the tank were similar with velocity fields. Jet flows from opposite diffusers encountered each other at the tank center region. Thereafter, the downward flows occurred, and this flows strongly affected the thermal stratification. When AR was smaller than 2, these downward flows influenced a further distance and enhanced mixing inside the tank. Thermal stratification was evaluated by thermocline thickness and degree of stratification, and AR of 3 had the highest degree of stratification. The inlet velocity effect was expressed with the ratio (Re/Ri) of Reynolds and Richardson numbers. The second-order approximation was found for the relationship between the thermocline thickness and log Re/Ri.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Automotive Engineers
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.35-41
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• 2011

This work investigates the potential of in-cylinder thermal stratification and fuel stratification for extending the operating ranges in HCCI engines, and the coupling between thermal stratification and fuel stratification. Computational results areemployed. The computations were conducted using both a custom multi-zone version and the standard single-zone version of the Senkin application of the CHEMKINII kinetics rate code, and kinetic mechanism for di-methyl ether (DME). This study shows that the potential of thermal stratification and fuels stratification for extending the high-load operating limit by a staged combustion event with reduced pressure-rise rates is very large. It was also found that those stratification offers good potential to extend low-load limit by a same mechanism in high-load. However, a combination of thermal stratification and fuel stratification is not more effective than above stratification techniques for extending the operating ranges showing similar results of fuel stratification. Sufficient condition for combustion (enough temperature for) turns misfire in low-load limit to operate engines, which also leads to knock in high-load limit abruptly due to the too high temperature with high. DME shows a potential for maximizing effect of stratification to lower pressure-rise rate due to the characteristics of low-temperature heat release.

• Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.1206-1215
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• 2005

The thermal stratification phenomena, frequently occurring in the component of nuclear power plant system such as pressurizer surge line, steam generator inlet nozzle, safety injection system (SIS), and chemical and volume control system (CVCS), can cause through-wall cracks, thermal fatigue, unexpected piping displacement and dislocation, and pipe support damage. The phenomenon is one of the unaccounted load in the design stage. However, the load have been found to be serious as nuclear power plant operation experience accumulates. In particular, the thermal stratification by the turbulent penetration or valve leak in the SIS and SCS pipe line can lead these safety systems to failure by the thermal fatigue. Therefore in this study an 1/10 scaledowned experimental rig had been designed and installed. And a series of experimental works had been executed to measure the temperature distribution (thermal stratification) in these systems by the turbulent penetration, valve leak, and heat transfer through valve. The results provide very valuable informations such as turbulent penetration depth, the possibility of thermal stratification by the heat transfer through valve, etc. Also the results are expected to be useful to understand the thermal stratification in these systems, establish the thermal strati­fication criteria and validate the calculation results by CFD Codes such as Fluent, Phenix, CFX.